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G1 Climax 2015 Results: Day 13 / Week 3 Roundup

Here we are: Week 3 has come and gone. Just one week to go before the G1 Climax Finals, and we now have a very good idea on who has the best chance on winning their respective blocks. And as usual, we wil also highlight the G1 Match of the Week and the MVP of the Week.

G1 Climax Block A Matches:

Bad Luck Fale (8) def. Kota Ibushi (6)

To be honest, I never expected Fale to pull off a win like that against one of the favorites to win the whole thing, but it happened. Fale defeated Ibushi in the opener, and with that, the Golden Star's hopes to main event WK X has been effectively dashed.

As a match, it is what it is, a story between a monster heel and a versatile fighter. Some outside shenanigans from Fale allowed him to get an early advantage over Ibushi, which the latter eventually recovered from and hit some high spots. But in the end, a Bad Luck Fall stopped Ibushi's dreams in winning the block. It was an okay match for what it is, but the big story is definitely Ibushi's end of the road as he was definitely one of the favorites to win the whole thing.

Rating: 2.5/5

Tetsuya Naito (8) def. Toru Yano (4)

I didn't think it was possible, but it happened: Naito has out-Yano'd Yano.

It was a match that simply showcased Naito's vicious side as a representative of Los Ingobernables (full heel mode, messing with the ref), and not so much a demonstration of technical prowess. Nonetheless, the match was fun for the purpose it was given. Yano remains loveable as a "tweener" thief that loves to cheat, and if you've seen Yano's matches, you know what you will be getting.

In the end, Yano became the latest victim of the Destino, but only after he became the recipient of two low blows.

Rating: 2.5/5

AJ Styles (8) def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2)

Remember when I said sometime ago that Hiroshi Tanahashi can easily make an ordinary match with someone become greater? The same can easily be said with the Phenomenal One.

For some time, Tenzan's been having subpar matches in the tournament, having not achieved the same success in performance the same way Kojima and Nagata had. But this was certainly not the case with Styles. The main story of the match is Styles targeting Tenzan's leg, which would make him susceptible to the Calf Killer submission hold. Tenzan tried to use his wily veteran tricks to overcome the younger Styles, but in the end, a well placed Calf Killer led to a rare submission victory for Styles.

The match was perhaps the best match Tenzan had in the entire tournament, and you can thank Styles for that.

Rating: 3.5/5

Togi Makabe (6) def. Doc Gallows (2)

When you have Makabe and Gallows in the same ring at the same time, only one thing can be expected: a hossfest between two natural born brawlers. And this was certainly the case in this NEVER Openweight VS IWGP Tag encounter.

While it was your formulaic Makabe match, it was still an entertaining encounter especially when you have an experienced pro like Gallows on the other side of the ring.

Rating: 3/5

Hiroshi Tanahashi (8) def. Katsuyori Shibata (8)

Let's just call it for what it is: Tanahashi VS Shibata was going to be an awesome encounter no matter what the outcome. And there was simply no other way to end the night than with two men having nothing but bitter and hostile feelings with one another.

On one end, you have a man that represents today's vision of New Japan: a tremendous showman with the legit case of being the best wrestler in the world. The other, a man who took a risk and abandoned pro wrestling to give a career in MMA a shot, only to return to his roots after a subpar run.

The match displayed why the two have amazing chemistry with one another despite having contrasting styles. Tanahashi can become agressive when he needs to be, and that's why he can easily adapt to Shibata's no-nonsense technique. The finishing stretch is something to behold, with Tana getting the much needed win over Shibata using a surprise pin.

As it stands, realistically, the only ones who have a chance on winning Block A are Fale, Naito, Styles, and Tanahashi based on points. And by virtue of direct competition, since Naito defeated the three men he's sharing the top spot with, he is the real leader of Block A, which puts him in a very comfortable position. Thus, theoretically, if Naito is still tied among the three of them by the end of the block matches, he will still win the block and go on to the Finals at the Sumo Hall. The only way Naito's momentum would be derailed is if he loses any of his matches this week.

This week will also be a deciding week for Styles and Tanahashi as they will be facing off this week, meaning either one of them will get the advantage, or both would end up in a tie if it comes to that.

Ibushi will no longer have the chance to win the whole thing, which is a damn shame considering how many amazing matches he had during the entire tournament. That's because even if Ibushi continued to win his matches this week, by virtue of direct competition, Tanahashi, Naito, and Fale still have priority.

Current Situation on Block B:The Rainmaker currently stands on the top of his block, but his position is still not guaranteed as there are still a lot of guys gunning for the top spot. The most critical match of the week for Block B is a big one because it is the rematch of last year's G1 Climax Finals and the 3rd of the CHAOS VS CHAOS encounters, Okada VS Nakamura. If Nakamura wants to have good chance at winning the block, he will have to maintain his winning streak and hope the others do not perform well. It's bad enough that he had to contend with a loss to Elgin via forfeit, so he cannot afford to lose another match at all.

It's pretty obvious at this point, but Honma's not even getting a chance at the finals. But if anything, here's to hoping he can get at least one win this week.

G1 Match of the Week: Hiroshi Tanahashi VS Katsuyori Shibata, Day 13

Surprising how the most recent match of the tournament ended up being the best tournament match of the week! What needed to be said about this match was alredy said a while ago.

Honorable mention goes to Kota Ibushi VS Tetsuya Naito as they also produced an excellent match this past week, but unfortunately, there can only be one Match of the Week.

All I can say at this point is you should really check this match out when you can! And the easiest way to do so is via NJPW World. For 999 yen a month, seriously, it's worth it.

G1 MVP of the Week: Tetsuya Naito

Deciding on this week's MVP was once again a tough cookie to chew on. On one hand, you have Michael Elgin, who has been making the most out of his first tour with NJPW. And really, looking at this Elgin feels very different from watching ROH Elgin. The wonders of the ROH-NJPW relationship allowed us to see who Michael Elgin is on another stage, and we want to see more of him in the future.

On the other hand, you got the usual suspects like Ishii, Okada, Tanahashi, Ibushi and Shibata, who produced amazing matches this week. And it's not like it's a surprise at all that these names would be in contention.

But it is hard to deny that Tetsuya Naito's been on fire, moreso now when he's on the top of his block based on direct competition. This week, he took his change in attitude further by not only producing an outstanding match against Ibushi, but he also showed his new attitude in spades in his match against Yano, out-cheating the cheater. The Naito of old would never even consider that.

Think about this: by the end of this tournament, Tanahashi will still be the Ace of the Universe. Okada will still be the Rainmaker. Nakamura will still be that crazy uncle that everyone loves and the King of Strong Style. Shibata will still be The Wrestler. Bullet Club will still be too sweet. CHAOS will still be tweeners. Suzuki-gun will still be invaders. So on and so forth.

After the G1 Climax tournament is over, Naito will never be the same again. He not only improved his stock during the tournament, but he also progressed NJPW storytelling by the use of his actions. Sure, he may still be the Stardust Genius, but he is also going to be NJPW's most impressive heel by the end of the year, and that's saying something when you consider the NJPW landscape that already has an impressive number of heels. It's a bold prediction, sure, but it's a prediction that can be supported by Naito's just-as-bold performances.

It's just a matter of time before Los Ingobernables makes their presence felt, and it will be Naito who will open the floodgates.

*****

Lance Tan Ong has been a banking guy for the past few years but a wrestling guy for most of his life. And after checking out matches of Mitsuharu Misawa and Shinya Hashimoto at an early age, he's also pretty much a puro guy as well. Currently checking out WWE (mostly NXT), NJPW, DDT, and other promotions that catch and demand attention. He currently handles NJPW news and coverage for Smark Henry.